Expressing Dimensions in Latin

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Karen Wadley

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project.

Expressing Dimensions in Latin

Description:

In this activity, students will use the accusative of extent and genitive of quality to describe personal items or items provided by the instructor. Students will also gain practice with numerals one through twelve in expressing inches and feet.

Proficiency Level:

Novice Mid

Keywords:

Length, width, height, thick

NCSSFL-ACTFL World Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.”
  • Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written Latin on a variety of topics.”
  • Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in Latin to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.”

Idaho State World Language Standards:

  • COMM 1.1 - Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
  • COMM 2.1 - Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
  • COMM 3.1 - Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

NCSSFL- ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can answer questions about the dimensions of an object
  • I can ask questions related to the dimensions of an object
  • I can describe a variety of objects by their dimensions

Materials Needed:

Set of small objects (one per student in group). For cultural dimension, select everyday objects Romans would use. For student personal connection, have students bring in their own object for "show and tell"

Tape measure/ruler (one per student or student team)

Slides (pptx file)

Vocabulary list (put on white board or provide each team) - link PFD

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity, pass out measuring tools, then distribute objects to each student (unless they have brought in their own). The students will first measure their objects using English Standard Measurements (inches), then Metric (centimeters).

2.   After, ask the students a few discussion questions:

"How tall are these objects? / What are their widths? / How deep are they?"

"Why do we measure in three dimensions?"
 

"How does measuring in centimeters compare to measuring in inches?"

"How do you think the Romans measured inches?"

Main Activity

1. Students will be re-measuring their objects using Roman measurements. Have them use their fingers to measure digiti, and the tape measure/ruler to measure unicae.

Differentiate between width: the "width of one finger" vs. "one inch wide"; and length: "the length of the index finger" vs. "four inches long" 

2.  Have students share their objects with partners. The student who measured the object describes the object in the target language, using the measurements. Each member of the team/partnership needs to introduce and describe their object in this round.

3. Student teams present their assemblage of items to the full class using single descriptor (height, length, width). Instructor can add quizzing questions on other dimensions to reinforce grammatical structures of accusative and genitive.

4. If there's time, instructor selects one object (secretly) and students attempt to identify it using measurements. Emphasize the variation in measurement when unicae are used, versus digiti.

Wrap-up

As a class, students select one of the objects to describe in reflection. Ask the students to describe the object using the measurements identified in the exercise, and reflect upon the following questions in English:

1. Which system of measurement is "better", in your opinion? How is it "better"?

2. Did you know about the differences between English Standard and Metric measurements before this exercise? How do the Roman systems compare?

3. What other ways do we use measurements to express details? 

End of class:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future classes.


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